For the World to Begin Again
by Goodwind
Summary: A hundred drabbles based in, after, or around timeskip. Will contain spoilers. Various pairings and settings. Requests Accepted. [92 Drabbles to 100] [Rated for cursing]
1. Coward

_Word Count: 242  
Warning: Spoilers  
Characters: Kakashi, mentions of Sakura and Naruto, hints of Sasuke_  
_Pairings: Team7, SakuNaru, Team Kakashi, NaruKakaSaku_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Kakashi knows that he's failed (badly, terribly, inexcusably) and he knows that he shouldn't be forgiven (but still hopes to all the same). 

He knows that he should fix things and watches from the sidelines as Sakura slowly falls apart only to pick herself up ten times faster when Naruto calls her name.

He knows that he should hold out a hand to Naruto who is fighting so, so _hard_ in a battle that's all his own and that no one can really touch (he wants to though, wants to help Naruto get back his team, family, friends).

He knows that he should, he really does, but he can't.

He wants them to turn to him and hold out their hands, smiles in place and calling "Kakashi-sensei" while yelling at him for being late, just like they used to.

He wants to pat Naruto on the head and tell Sakura that he's proud of her so that they can be a _family_ (and the hole would be there, always be there) but he can't, he just can't because he's just done too much wrong and they'd never (shouldn't) forgive him. (He knows they will, because that's who they are, and both of them are too damned stubborn and all of them are still desperately clinging to the hope that they'll be a team again, so really that's no excuse.)

Obito would have called him a coward and for once Hatake Kakashi would have had to agree with him.

* * *

_**xxx**_


	2. Drug

_Word Count: 64  
Warning: Spoilers  
Characters: Naruto, mentions of Sasuke_  
_Pairings: NaruSasu_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Sasuke is like a drug to Naruto.

He's the type that you hate yourself for taking, hate yourself for liking. But regardless of how much he hates it Naruto just can't _fucking stop_.

And so he breathes him in a little more, trains a little harder, and tells himself that one day (soon, dammit, soon) Sasuke won't be just another memory (he never has been anyway).

* * *

**_xxx_**

**_Will later be lengthened to 100+ words._**


	3. Training

_Word Count: 165  
Warning: Spoilers  
Pairings: N/A_

_**xxx**_

* * *

The training is tough but damn it, he'll endure it. He has to, it repeats like mantra inside of his head. I can't fail, I won't fail, I have to bring him back. Repeating over and over again.

If he stops he knows he'll fall (the pain is just too much) so he doesn't. He gets up and trains until he faints, until his body can't take anymore and tells him that he can't either.

Kyuubi is whispering things in his head, things like failure and promises of strength if he's allowed out. It's all he can to do not give in, to ignore Kyuubi likes he ignores the images of teams and smiles and _happiness_.

He knows now that a victory by Kyuubi is a shallow one (gaps in his memory, blood on her arm, the realization that he was the one to cause it) and knows that he'll never do it again. Knows that it isn't _his_ power so, technically, it wouldn't be his victory either.

* * *

_**xxx**_

_Random drabbles based in, after, or around timeskip! Various relationships. Requests accepted._


	4. Replacement

_Word Count: 62  
Warning: Spoilers for chapters 320+  
Characters: Ino, hints of Shikamaru and Asuma  
Pairings: InoShika hints of InoAsu_

_**xxx**_

* * *

Ino likes it when he smokes and wonders if _he_ would taste the same (they used the same brand).

She likes to watch him practice with his newly acquired knives (a gift, but at the same time not).

She doesn't like it when he talks like _him_, the lines begin to blur and she starts to remember (he's gone, oh God, he's gone).

* * *

**_xxx_**


	5. Hope

_Word Count: 155  
Warning: Spoilers (set in the rescue!Gaara arc)  
Characters: Sakura, Naruto with hints of Sasuke_  
_Pairings: SakuNaru_

_**xxx**_

* * *

That calm, almost hope, was something that no one could take. Only he could give it, and only when he wanted to (when he smiled).

She envied him for it, for always believing. In him, in her, in himself, in the fact that _they would get him back_ or die trying.

He was so very sure of himself, like nothing at all could knock him down. He was her rock (and unknown to her, she was his). He was the guy that smiled and reassured her, when really he was the one to be reassured. When she cried he'd promise to fix the problem and tell her to stop crying.

She only once saw him cry, really cry, and she had been powerless, too young and obsessed with her own pain that she couldn't see (feel, care about) his. She regrets it, and knows that next time she'll fix his problem, or at least they'll do it together.

* * *

_**xxx**_


	6. Need

_Word Count: 109  
Spoilers: For chapters 328-330  
Characters: Kurenai, Shikamaru, hints of Asuma_  
_Pairings: KurenaiShikamaru (KureShika), AsumaKurenia (AsuKure)_

_Edit on 1/5/07: Fixed a stupid mistake. _

_**xxx**_

* * *

He delivers the news and watches as she crumbles into herself, face in her hands, tears raining down her face. 

She's hurt, he knows, he's hurt too. _His _cigarettes sit in his pocket, along with the lighter. When he bends down the lighter falls out. The sound cuts through her cries and she looks at the metal container, then up at him, and back again.

She leans forward, red eyes glistening but clear, mind fogged but set.

She kisses him.

Once upon a time he would have said that it was 'too troublesome' to stop her. She knows this. He knows this. And he says, "alright," because he needs this too.

* * *

**_xxx_**

_Appearently I now have a love for Team 10. It doesn't beat out my love for Team 7 though._


	7. Loss

_Word Count: 107  
Spoilers: None.  
Characters: Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Kakashi  
Pairings: SasuNaru, Team Seven  
Summary: Sasuke is finally home and all is perfect. Or not._

**_xxx_**

* * *

Naruto threw his head back and screamed. He screamed of anger and pain and sadness and _promises _and when he was done, he fell to his knees and cried. 

Sakura wasn't moving, wasn't speaking, she was just staring blankly, staring blankly at him.

Sasuke looked at the blonde, then Sakura, then Kakashi, then back to Naruto again and said, "I'm home."

They didn't reply.

Sai, who had been standing behind Naruto answered for them. "Welcome back," he said and it was almost perfect.

Almost perfect except that Naruto was crying and Sakura was beside him staring, just _staring_, and Sasuke, Sasuke had a hole in his chest and blood in his mouth.

* * *

**_xxx_**


	8. Erase

_Word Count: 155  
Spoilers: For the Rescue!Sasuke (again) arc. Chapter 300ish in the manga.  
Characters: Sai, Sakura, mentions of Naruto  
Pairings: None.  
Summary: Sai has another mission for ROOT. Too bad that it doesn't look like he's following through._

* * *

They were on their way back to Konoha after their failed attempt to rescue the missing part of team seven and had stopped about a day and a half away to rest for the night. His teammates already asleep Sai, who was on watch, sat by the fire mechanically ripping out pages from his notebook and tossing them into the burning flame. 

"What are you doing?"

His pink haired teammate, having gotten up in preparation of taking over the watch, tried to look over his shoulder to see what was written on the paper.

He only smiled a little wider (it was fake, still fake, and yet proud) and continued to pull the pages out of the notebook, throwing them into the fire and watching almost happily as they burned.

_'Uzumaki Naruto lost control of the Kyuubi. He is no longer fit to be a Konoha shinobi.'_

He watched as the words melted and he had never been so content.

* * *

_**xxx**_


End file.
